As part of the Annenberg Community Beach House construction project, Back on the Beach Café, located at 445 Pacific Coast Hwy., will close for renovation beginning Feb. 4. The adjacent Beach Parking Lot 10 North will be closed from Feb. 7 through May 20. Improvements to the beach café will include the addition of a take out food service window and cosmetic upgrades. Following the installation of a trellis at the entry pavilion component of the project, the parking lot will be resurfaced and re-striped. Until the lot reopens, beach patrons are advised to carpool, ride a bike or use Beach Lot 9 North. The self-pay machine at Lot 9 accepts payment for all day or two hour parking.
The Annenberg Community Beach House project combines rehabilitation of remaining elements from the historic Marion Davies Estate with construction of new facilities including a pool house, event house, gardens, a children’s water play feature and a public art element.
The project is the culmination of an extensive community planning process that began in the late 1990s with the goal of taking advantage of the site’s attractive beachfront location, its colorful history and its potential as a unique public destination. In 2005, City Hall received generous funding from the Annenberg Foundation, at the recommendation of Wallis Annenberg, to preserve the site for public use.
Open to the public in early 2009, the facility will include space for meetings and events, as well as opportunities for traditional beach recreation such as swimming, volleyball and beach tennis. The site is owned by the State of California and operated by City Hall.
For more information, visit 415pch.smgov.net.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 31, 2008. Read the original PDF.